Thank you for the critiques. I made the corrections. I'm glad you enjoyed the piece.

##Morning Tribulations

"Get up. It's my turn in the bed." Richard in his stained tank top and underwear stood over Grant's bed.

"Five more minutes," Grant muttered.

"No, we had a deal. This is my bed." Richard jumped and landed on Grant. Grant screamed in pain, but Richard refused to move.

"Alright, I'll go." When Grant got up, Richard made himself larger to cover the bed and prevent Grant from returning.

Grant walked down the stairs to the kitchen and opened a bag of chips. The chips disappeared. He opened the cookie jar and watched them decline.

"You know the drill." Vince stood behind him eating everything. Grant sighed as he started eating a banana. When he finished, he went to the bathroom. As he stared in the mirror, a voice spoke behind him.

"Come on. You can do better." Lilly tilted her sunglasses down. "There's a hot man in there. I know it."

"You probably think I'm hot right now," Grant said.

"You're right I do." Lilly licked her lips. "You're irresistible."

"Okay, this is getting weird." Hailey stepped through the room and pushed Lilly out. "Grant, you have to take pride in your appearance. You are already you're biggest critic so you have to be your biggest cheerleader."

"I still say you should give the house to me." Tyler poked his head inside. "I'd be a much better caretaker than you."

"You're dead." Grant started to shave.

"Don't remind me. You know. Screw you and you're constant living. Why is life wasted on people like you," Tyler said.

"Because you already wasted yours." Grant smiled at his own joke.

"That was good," Hailey said.

"No, it wasn't," Tyler said.

"Shut up." Hailey pushed him out of the room. Robert stood in the doorway in his military fatigues.

"Remember to advocate for yourself but do it calmly," he said.

"I really thought the spirit of wrath would be more aggressive," Grant replied.

"Rage is a tool, and I scream every time I'm alone," Robert said.

"Makes sense." Grant got in his car to go to work.

"Are you ready dear-boy? Time is money." Ulysses was wearing his suit and monocle.

"Absolutely." Grant drove to work. Life was fine with the seven deadly spirits.

r/AstroRideWrites

##Twenty Dollars

It was just twenty dollars.

Nobody else saw the man put it in the donation box. A receipt wasn't written. The daily total was going to happen in one hour.

Lindsay took the chance and grabbed the money.

This job was supposed to be about saving animals. Instead, it was about organizing giant parties for people to part with their money. Occasionally, someone jetted to a nature preserve and took tasteful pictures, but that was it. Nothing turned an optimist cynical faster than trying to help.

Britney was the worst of the bunch. Lindsay saw her new purse and watch. They cost more than a month's rent in Lindsay's crappy apartment. Other people whispered about it, and Britney had the same canned response when the gossip was undeniable. She was the boss; she deserved it for her hard work. Please. Her parents were the biggest donors. They got rich off of oil, and their daughter was trying to satisfy her guilty conscience.

If she really wanted to make the world better, she would raise Lindsay's salary. Altruism as its own reward was how suckers were captured. Her apartment lock didn't work, and she was always nervous about being robbed. Twenty dollars could get a new lock.

How can Lindsay be expected to perform if she was living in squalor. By being in a better mood, Lindsay would be able to expend more energy on helping the animals. It was the moral decision.

Just twenty more dollars

Britney said last week that the quarterly donations were slightly lower than expected. Lindsay almost told her to get her parents to make up the difference. Lindsay didn't even steal that much. It was only a little here and there. It wasn't Lindsay's fault that her glasses broke, and she needed new ones.

Hank sat next to her staring at his phone. Britney implemented the buddy system to be sure that nothing was stolen. She tried to avoid implying that it was her employees doing it, but Lindsay knew what Britney thought. The ungrateful, selfish pieces of trash that worked for her were ruining her good deed. They needed to learn proper morality from someone as sophisticated as Britney.

"I'm going to use the bathroom." Hank got up. Now was Lindsay's chance. She creeped slowly over to the box and opened it. A crisp twenty was sitting on top. She grabbed it to put it in her pocket.

"What are you doing?" Lindsay turned and saw Hank behind her.

"I can explain," Lindsay said. Hank moved beside her and took a twenty for himself.

"I need a new jacket. I won't tell if you won't tell," he said.

"Deal." She shut the door and sat down with Hank satisfied.

Why should she feel guilty? It was just forty dollars.

r/AstroRideWrites

Thank you for the prompt. Glad you enjoyed the story.

##Well Well Well

Harold skipped along the path without a care in the world. The birds were singing, and the sun was shining. His path was interrupted by a small well. He looked to see the bottom of the well, but he couldn't see it. He did the sensible think and dropped a stone in it. After waiting for several seconds, he heard no sound so he skipped along.

Harold continued to skip through the forest without a care in the world. The leaves were dancing, and the squirrels were scurrying. Truly a lovely day to be alive. His path was again interrupted by the well. Again, he couldn't see the bottom of it. So he dropped another stone. Off he went.

Harold loved to skip in the forest. The grass tickled his feet. The butterflies were flapping their gorgeous wings.

"My oh my," Harold said. It was the well again. He picked up a stone and dropped it.

"Stop that," the well said.

"Oh my, who's there?" Harold asked.

"My name is Dasonero." A woman with three bumps on her head popped out of the well. "Why do you keep hitting me?"

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to see how the deep the well was." Harold held out a hand. "Do you need help getting out of the well?"

"No, I'm the naiad of this well. I provide freshwater to all who come," Dasonero said.

"Oh, that's good. I'm awfully thirsty," Harold replied.

"Absolutely not, you're getting nothing," Dasonero said.

"Alright." Harold skipped away from the nymph. After a few seconds, he came to the well again and tossed a stone inside of it.

"What did you do that for?" Dasonero asked.

"For not getting my water, it's been a long day skipping," Harold says.

"Why do you keep doing this? Are you skipping in circles like an idiot?" Dasonero asked. Harold tossed another rock.

"That's for calling me an idiot," Harold said. A bird flew next to Dasonero.

"Just go with it. We're all terrified of him," the bird said. Dasonero looked around the forest. She saw the hamadryads and dryads stare at her with pained looks.

"My god, what have you done you monster?" Dasonero said. Harold tossed a rock at the bird.

"This is my domain. All shall obey me," he said.

"Where do you keep finding rocks?" Dasonero asked. Harold threw a rock at her. She caught it and threw it back. Harold fell over. When he got up, he cried and ran away.

"You're a meanie," he yelled.

"What a strange person," Dasonero said. Harold cried and ran past her several more times. "Do you need help getting out of here?"

"Yes," Harold said.

"Just go straight and take a left at the big red tree than a left at the tree with blue flowers," Dasonero said.

"Thank you." Harold ran off. A bird sat next to the well.

"You've saved us all."

"I'm still not sure what I did," Dasonero said.

"Me neither," the bird replied.

"I guess the lesson is don't go throwing rocks in random wells," Dasonero shrugged.

r/AstroRideWrites

##Magic of the World

Uwe ran from the city. The concrete walls constrained him and stifled imagination. That horrid place caused all adults to be miserable.

“Uwe.” Mr. Schultz pointed at him. “Stop looking outside. Your obliviousness misquemes me.”

“Watching bird poop is more interesting than you,” Uwe replied.

“Rector’s office, now,” he says.

He saw small kids at the edge of the park. They played tag, and a few kids picked up sticks. Their smiles shone brightly. Age had a way of dimming those smiles. Uwe decided to join them. When he approached, they stared at him.

“Hello, may I play tag?” he asked.

“You’re too big for us,” one kid said.

“Yeah and weird.” The kid laughed and ran from him. Uwe was left alone.

“Uwe, I received a call from the rector,” his mom said. Uwe ignored her and went to his room. “Uwe come down here. I’m talking to you.” Uwe obliged. He stood in front of her with his arms crossed. “He said you insulted your science teacher and spit on the rector in his office. Is this true?”

Uwe turned away from her and didn’t answer.

“You have ten seconds,” she said.

“I did it.”

“Uwe, I’ll have to take away your video games for a week.” Uwe sighed. “You will be going to the Gymnasium soon. How can I trust you to behave there?”

“I won’t,” Uwe shrugged.

“Uwe, how can you forget your manners,” she said.

“Because manners are stupid,” Uwe said.

“Go to your room,” she yelled.

Uwe reached a small tree and sat under it. He looked up at the leaves and watched the sun dance through them. The leaves came alive and swirled around him. They cheered him up with their song. It went…it went.

He shook his head. The leaves weren’t able to sing. He put his face to the bark to listen to the people living inside of it. The people were hard at work, but they didn’t acknowledge him.

The roots were home to the anteaters that sucked water and worms from the ground. They were the friendliest parts of the tree, and even they treated him coldly.

All alone, he began to cry. He loved the nature around him. The life inside of it was available only to him. They told him that they showed themselves to children because children could appreciate it. Eventually, he wouldn’t be able to see them. It had to come to an end.

“Uwe.” His mother walked up to him. “Why did you leave?”

“You’re just going to punish me.” Uwe crossed his arms. His mother sat down.

“I don’t want to. I don’t like hurting the ones I love,” she cried, “Especially when something is bothering them.”

“The world is getting duller,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“It used to be filled with magic and joy. Now, it’s all gone. I’m turning into an adult,” he said.

“Sweetie, the world is getting familiar. It’s part of growth, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t magic.” His mother touched the tree. “Like this. Do you know what xylem and phloem are?”

“What are those?” he asked.

“Well, the xylem is how the tree transfers the water it gathers at its roots. While the phloem is how it moves what the leaves make in photosynthesis. I told you about photosynthesis right?”

“Yeah, it’s the magic the leaves do to create air and their own food. I wish I could do photosynthesis,” Uwe said.

“There are a lot of reasons why you can’t do that. You could learn them by reading about biology.” She took his hand. “You are an intelligent and creative young man. However, those are meaningless attributes if you are hard-working and respectful. You may be losing the magic of youth, but there is a magic that comes with age, an understanding of the world. The science behind life is known and can be studied. Your reflections on your life can be made into art and literature. You can blossom in new ways, but you have to be open to accepting them.”

“Can’t I enjoy being a kid?” he asked.

“Of course, no one said that there isn’t joy in being an adult. Like me, I feel joy whenever I see your smile.” Uwe smiled in response.

“Thank you mom.”

She stood up with her hand in his. “Now, let’s go home. Though I loved our chat, you were still disrespectful today. As such, you must vacuum the floors and help your father with the lawn.”

“Mom.” Uwe slouched his shoulders.

“And you will write a letter to the rector and science teacher apologizing for your actions,” his mom smiled, “That’s a part of life.”

r/AstroRideWrites

##The Last Missed Goodbye

Gerald smiles at his younger self and his little brother Daryl as they play in their room.

Gerry changed his battle bot’s setting to offense and was striking Daryl’s robot. Daryl pretended his robot had lost function to stop the fight. When Gerry stopped attacking, Daryl switched his into attack mode.

Gerald laughs at the scene. His brother used that trick so many times, but Gerald always played along.

“You shouldn’t be here, and you know it,” Jack says from behind him.

“Be quiet. You’re interrupting the important moment,” Gerald says.

“Kids, I’m going to the store.” Gerry’s mom walked into the room. Gerry left his toys and ran to give his mom a massive hug.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you too.” His mom giggled and wrapped her arms around him. “But I have to go.”

“No don’t,” Gerry said.

“What’s gotten into you?” Daryl asked.

“You told him. Didn’t you?” Jack asks.

“I planted the thought into his mind that he should appreciate his mom today. I didn’t mention anything about the accident in the tunnel,” Gerald replies.

“Why would you do that? You know it’s going to cause an anachronism. Your mother’s death, while tragic, was one of many outcomes. The outcomes became circumstances which later created the outcome of-”

“Yes yes yes, I know all about that.” Gerald waves his hands. “You’re going to lecture me about time loops and paradoxes. Don’t bother. I completed my fiftieth chronal realignment when you were still studying string theory.”

“Which is why it’s shocking to see you doing this.” Jack shakes his head. “I looked up to you. You were a model for duty and keeping the agency’s values.”

“I never agreed with those values, but I didn’t care enough to correct them. For instance.” Gerald holds out his arm. “What’s the harm in giving a boy a chance to say goodbye.”

“Sorry, I’m being weird, mom. I just had a nightmare where I saw you get hurt, and it scared me,” Gerry began to cry.

“Oh sweetie.” His mom bent down and wiped his face. “It’s okay to worry about your family. I worry about you two all the time, but there’s parts of our lives that we can’t control. If I get hurt, I’ll get better. I’m only leaving for a quick errand. When I come back, we can eat ice cream and watch a movie.”

“But what if you don’t come back?” Gerry whimpered.

“Well, that’s horrible to think about, and I will come back,” his mom paused, “But if I don’t, I know I’ll live on with you two. In your hearts and memories.” She turned and walked away. Daryl came behind his brother and pushed him.

“Why were you being so weird?” he asked.

“Shut up,” Gerry replied.

Gerald smiles and cries at the scene. Jack monitors the timeline with his temporal tracker.

“Hmm, your mother still dies in the same accident, and you are still a decorated chronal officer for now.” Jack shifts through the tracker. “But she got into an accident with someone else. Who knows what kind of impact that might have on the future.”

“That’s fine. I knew the events wouldn’t play out in the exact same fashion. But I got the chance to say good-bye and tell her I love her. All my life I wished I had more time to say goodbye, And now, there was time enough, at last.” Gerald holds out his wrists. “Arrest me Jack. My work is done.”

“You realize we may have to perform a reversion if we find your change is too great.” Jack puts on the handcuffs.

“Of course, I only wanted to see myself say goodbye to her. That’s all. I hope Daryl and I are still close,” Gerald says. Jack opens the portal behind them.

“I don’t know whether to condemn you or pat you on the back,” Jack says.

“Do both or neither,” Gerald smiles, “Just make sure you think for yourself in the future.”

r/AstroRideWrites

##The First Kiss

Brenda stomps across the turf with her trumpet. She’s one of many horns in the field, but she knows someone in the crowd is looking at her. Their performance is mediocre. A few students are lazy and barely making noise, and a few are aggressively declaring their space in the spotlight. The band director is shaking his head at the mess while the audience spaces out.

After halftime, Brenda runs to the bandroom to get into her normal clothes and drop off her instrument. A few people try to speak to her, but she brushes past them. Jeremy is waiting for her in the parking lot by his car wearing a thin coat and a . He opens the passenger door for her.

“So where would you like to go?” Jeremy asks.

“Let me think.” Brenda puts her finger to chin and ‘hmms’ loudly. “We should go to Hawaii. I want to experience the tropical island paradise.”

“The movie theater doesn’t pay me well enough for a plane ticket.”

“That’s a shame. I can’t be with a man who can’t enjoy the finer things in life,” Brenda giggles, “But I don’t know. Why don’t you decide. You’re the one with the driver’s license.”

“Alright, let’s go mini golfing,” Jeremy says.

“Wow, the theater really isn’t paying you well.”

“Life could be so easy if every teenager got a six figure salary at their first job.” Jeremy drives to Henry’s Bowling and Golf.

The clerk is bored and more focused on his phone. He hands Brenda the child sized club three times before grabbing the right one. Brenda takes the purple golf ball while Jermey chooses the red one. They proceed through the course bantering. Jeremy’s skill level is quite dreadful; he manages to reach the five point cap on every hole. Brenda scores two above par.

“That was awful.” Jeremy says as they leave.

“It was. You now have to wear the hat of shame.” She grabs a novelty hat from the gift shop and puts it on his head.

“You grab it. You buy it,” the clerk says. Brenda puts five dollars on the table. “Thank you.”

The two walk back to Jeremy’s car. Brenda looks at her watch and sees she has to be home in thirty minutes. Too soon to do anything, but too far to make the night feel worthwhile. Jeremy drives to her subdivision and stops under a streetlight.

“What’s going on?” Brenda asks.

“How often do you think about your future?” Jeremy replies.

“Unfortunately all the time with exams coming up. I try to focus on the immediate future. Like how I’ll probably be sitting on my desk because Mrs. Grant is weird,” she says.

“I think about my future a lot and your role in it.” He looks at her, and the streetlight illuminates his green eyes.

“Oh.” Brenda stutters. “I’ve thought about you a lot, but I don’t know if that’s just the standard for teenage romances.”

“I wouldn’t know. Never had one before.”

“Neither have I,” Brenda replies. Jeremy leans towards her.

“I think I know what I’m supposed to do during this part,” he says. Brenda moves towards him as well. Their lips meet over the gear shift, and the kiss is quite awkward. Jeremy wraps his hands around Brenda, but he accidentally pulls at her hair. Brenda bites her tongue and interrupts the kiss. Neither have figured out how to breathe while kissing and end up blowing on each other’s cheeks. When the kiss ends, they pull away and smile at each other.

“Thank you. I hope I get better at kissing,” Jeremy says.

“We both will. It just takes more practice. The first time is always a bit weird,” Brenda shrugs, “At least, that’s what my sister told me.”

“You asked your sister about this.” Jeremy starts the car and drives closer to Brenda’s address.

“Of course, I lied earlier. I have been thinking about us a lot and had to check with her to make sure it was normal,” she says.

“That’s good. I’ve asked my older brother for advice too.” He stops in front of her house. The porch light is already on. “See you tomorrow.”

“Sure.” Brenda opens her door but stays in the car. “Can I have my first kiss good night?”

“Absolutely.” They kiss one more time. Brenda walks away from his car practically skipping, and Jeremy drives away with a smile on his face.

r/AstroRideWrites

Thank you.

Good story, but I would add more to the middle when they're dancing. The most important of the story is how the MC learns to have fun.

Teenage love is always messy. My one advice is to make Susan a bit more conflicted. The drama to me is that her feelings are still muddled, but I understand this may be difficult with the word limit.

This is an interesting story, but I'm a little confused. I thought Blue and Laurel were the same person, but I was confused as they went back and forth in perspective. Maybe rework for clarity.

A fun exploration of how Disco can be an escape. However to me, Disco is a 70s genre. I interpreted the MC as being a teenager in present day. Nostalgia for a time in which the MC hadn't lived could be a good aspect to explore.

What a Disco love story. I like the usage of songs in it, but I think more details are needed. Is the bartender hot? The MC says few would turn him down so describe him. Are there other queer people in the bar? Studio 54 had Divine and Andy Warhol in attendance, but I know other clubs might not have been as accepting. This could be an interesting contrast.

I like the twist, but I think more animalistic or violent imagery could be used to help foreshadow the twist.

##Ruins of Disco

“The fact that they’re still operating is a crime against humanity.” Franklin spits into the microphone. His face is red. “Who do they think they are, doing the electric boogie or whatever trendy dance those idiots think is cool.”

Rebecca is standing in the sound room with her arms crossed glaring at him. In her right hand, she has three pictures. The technicians and producers do their best to ignore her for fear of provoking her wrath.

“We’re seeing a decline of disco’s popularity nationwide, but for some reason, it refuses to die in our city.” He grabs at his collar for dramatic effect even if the listeners won’t be able to hear it. After a few quick breaths, he calms down.” With the power of rock and good taste, that’ll hopefully change soon enough. This is Franklin Smith with TKPY signing off.”

When he exits the studio, he lights a cigar and takes a large draw from it. He spots Rebecca out of the corner of his eye and perks up. His smile dominates his face as he approaches her with an arm outstretched. The lines around his eye show that it’s genuine.

“Rebecca, it’s so nice to see you. I haven’t seen you since Miguel’s party. How’ve you been?” he asks.

“Cut the crap, Franklin. Explain this.” She shoves the pictures to his chest. The pictures are of a brick building with the words “Emerald Haven” in a neon sign above the doorway. On the right side of the door, someone spray painted, “Disco Freaks Must Go.” On the other side, the phrase “GO AWAY” is written in all caps.

“My word, this vandalism is horrible. Have you contacted the police?” he asks.

“We both know you’re the one who caused it.” Rebecca says. Franklin looks around ashamed.

“Can we talk in my office?” Rebecca shrugs and follows him. Franklin’s office is an excuse to cover his walls with the famous people he met. His desk has no drawers, and the chairs are cheap. Rebecca’s back begins to feel sore the moment she sits down.

“Every day, I play a character that hates disco. Staying Alive is one of my favorite songs; it creates a sense of euphoria in me. People are embarrassed by that feeling, but I love it. Unfortunately, I have bills to pay and condemning an entire genre is how I do it. Market research shows that-”

“And what about the people?” Rebecca interrupts.

“What do you mean?”

“Screw the market. What about the people who are losing the only space where they felt like they belonged because you keep demonizing us. I’m barely staying afloat right now. If you keep up the hate, I’ll go under.”

“It would be a crime to lose the Emeraldy Haven. History is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes. You’re a great businesswoman; I’m sure you’ll bounce back,” Franklin smiles. Rebecca stands.

“You know. I actually prefer the character you play on the radio. At least he has convictions, you’re nothing more than a spineless greedy bastard.” Rebecca storms out of the radio station.

Later that night, Rebecca is bartending for her nightclub. There are ten people on a dancefloor designed to hold forty. The tip jar only has spare change in it. It’ll take a miracle for her to keep the lights on for a month.

“Why are you so sad? You’re killing the vibe of your own business.” Gloria’s face brightens the other side of the counter.

“I just had a meeting with Franklin today. That lowlife is killing our business, and he doesn’t care. He’ll lead an angry mob if he thinks it’ll get him higher ratings,” Rebecca says.

“Why do you care about him?”

“I don’t. This is the only place where people can escape their problems on the dance floor. Where will they go if I close?”

“That sounds stressful. Why don’t you listen to your own advice and dance?” Gloria grabs Rebecca’s wrist.

“No, I can’t. I have to oversee the bar.”

“Tyler’s here too. Take a small break.” Gloria drags Rebecca from behind the bar to the middle of the floor.

Rebecca sways to the rhythm for the first few moments. Then, her arms and legs start to move. Before the first song is over, she fully embraces the moment. Franklin is not even a memory to her. Her club is no longer in debt. The entire world is confined to this small space created by the infectious four on the floor beats.

After a half-hour of dancing, Rebecca returns to the bar refreshed. The club may close, but Rebecca will survive. Everyone will survive. Because that’s the power of disco.

r/AstroRideWrites

Thank you for the critiques. I will work on increasing the tension of my writings.

Thanks for the comment. I made the suggested changes to the words. I changed Caldwell's apology since it was too abrupt. I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

##Library of Caligula

The stone doors which have held for thousands of years are blown open by a small stick of dynamite. The silent atmosphere that the scrolls grew to love is destroyed. Light pierces the darkness as three men enter the room with gas lamps.

“Unbelievable, I can’t believe you were right.” Lionel admires a nearby statue of a horse. “I never heard of the Library of Caligula when I met you.”

“You aren’t alone.” Otis is fiercely taking notes. “I was laughed out of the academic community for proposing such a thing. They laughed harder when I said it was in the Faroe Islands.”

“But what is here exactly?” Elmer asks. Stacks of scrolls stretch for three-hundred meters. The stacks are divided by a walkway in the middle with gold trimmings and tables spaced between five stacks. The stacks are four shelves high and ten shelves deep. Each shelf contains twenty scrolls.

“Let’s see.” Lionel grabs a scroll and opens it on the table. Nick walks next to him. His mouth opens.

“Unbelievable. This is an early description of a steam engine,” Nick says.

“And how do you know that?” Elmer puts his hands on his hips.

“I worked as a mechanic. Being regarded as a fraud doesn’t pay the bills.”

“Nonsense.” Lionel slaps Nick’s shoulder. “Frauds are the basis of our society. Their skills are probably very underestimated and largely underemployed.”

“Uh, thanks.” Nick pauses to process the back-handed compliment.

“If the Romans knew how to make a steam engine, why didn’t they do it?”

“That’s outside my expertise. The academic community largely accepts that such a device was discussed theoretically at the time, but-”

“Ah, so you’re saying it’s not shocking. Let’s see what else is here.” Lionel grabs another scroll and opens it. All three of them are shocked by what’s on the page.

“Is that really a car?” Elmer asks.

“It would appear to be the body of one.” Nick puts his paper down.

“That’s the engine of one.” Lionel points in the corner.

“There’s no way this would’ve been known in Caligula’s time,” Nick says.

“Well, I suppose everything you need for a better future and success has already been written.” Lionel walks away from the table. “Let’s see what else we can find here.”

The three men walk throughout the collection with their lamps in hand. Throughout the shelves, they find inventions that had only recently been invented such as radio and airplanes. Devices from the future are also present such as a phone that lacks a chord and a small movie player. Other scrolls contain maps of the world with borders throughout history. One lists the family tree of the Hapsburg family up to Archduke Franz Ferdinand with a note on his assassination.

“Why is all this modern knowledge in an ancient library?” Elmer puts down a scroll on the War of Spanish Succession.

“I don’t know. None of this makes sense,” Nick replies.

“Is this a prank?” Lionel pulls out a knife and stabs the shelf by Nick.

“What?” “Did you and your university pals just want to humiliate this old treasure hunter?” Lionel removes the knife and stomps towards Nick.

“There has to be an explanation.” Nick pulls out a scroll. A loud scraping noise echoes throughout the building. The three men leave the stack. At the end of the walkway, a silver orb sits in an alcove.

“Now what is that?” Elmer asks.

“It’s the Orb of Germanicus. They dismissed me as a fraud for that too.” Nick falls to the floor laughing.

“Now what’s gotten into you?” Elmer shakes his head.

“I theorized that Germanicus found it in Belgica and gave it to his son. Caligula’s so-called insanity was the result of that orb,” Nick says.

“That’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever said.” Lionel replies.

“Come on. Haven’t you noticed that Elmer is only speaking in questions?” Elmer asks.

“He’s always been inquisitive. This is crossing the line into the unrealistic.” Lionel kicks Nick’s laughing body. “And stop giggling you twit.”

“I can’t stop. Everything is so funny. Like the shut doors.” At that statement, Lionel looks up. The doors that they destroyed have returned; the rubble has cleared. Snow is no longer infiltrating the library.

“No, it can’t be.” Lionel runs to the doors and pushes.

“They’re locked. Caligula knew how powerful this knowledge would be and ensured that it could never be exposed to the outside world,” Nick says.

“And how do you know that?” Elmer asks. Nick holds out the scroll he took. Three men are drawn in the library. Underneath the drawing is one word. Mortuus.

r/AstroRideWrites

##First Day in the Sun

Ackley sits alone in the cellar. Someone opens the door and tosses in a plate. The door shuts quickly. Outside, Ackley hears the villagers teasing the unlucky soul who had to interact with their prisoner.

Picking up his stick, he walks to the plate. The chain restrains him from getting next to the plate. They never bother to ensure he can reach the food given. Ackley uses the stick to slide the food closer. Collapsing on the floor, he stakes several bites. Stale bread. At least, it isn't moldy.

Using the plate, Ackley strikes at the chain several times. The chain has rusted faster down here. The villagers never considered that their curse would effect it. One of the links splits. With all of his spite, he pulls with his leg until the chain breaks.

The harvest festival will get another guest.

People gasp and stare when he enters the town square. A few people faint at the site of him. A few whisper in confusion. Some deny their eyes. There's no way he could've escaped. Ackley walks to the table and grabs a piece of the turkey.

"Such a lovely day isn't it." Ackley squints his eyes as he looks at the sky for the first time in years. No one dares respond to him. Ackley laughs. "You've kept me locked up for thirty years, and you have nothing to say to me?"

"I'll say something." Caldwell stands supporting himself on a small cane. "We were all horribly distraught when the witch cursed us. No child should've gone through what you did, and no parent wanted to see their kids suffer. That's why we drew lots; luck didn't favor you that day."

"Do you still tell that story?" Ackley laughs. "My mother told me the truth before she died. You made a deal with the enchantress. Prosperity in exchange for all the suffering going to a single person. Volunteering would've been the true selfless act. You cowards took the option that would prolong the effects."

"You are correct in that we were selfish fools," Caldwell sighs, "But what would you have us do instead?"

"You're going to have to figure out the answer to that question." Ackley takes a bite of fruit. "I am retaking my time in the sun. Enjoy the pain and horror you inflicted on me."

His legs move with the power stored in them for decades. Fresh air kisses his face. The birds sing to welcome him. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees their fields start to go bad and laughs to himself. No more easy path, but he will not concern himself with them.

In the woods, the grass welcomes his feet. The branches part for his arrival. In a small clearing in the middle, he bathes in the sunlight. Ackley is free and alive.

r/AstroRideWrites

Lol. If only Satan thought of that.

Thank you.

Thanks.

It's both like the Good Place

##Hellfire

Satan walked into the room with his best suit. Well, it was the most appropriate for the situation. His best suit was made from the skin of sinners and was threaded with their screams. Jehovah made his disgusts known to Satan several times.

Jehovah's office was an understated display of power. Extinct birds flew in the air above him. The chairs were the perfect size and comfort for their occupants, but they didn't look expensive. The water was always the correct temperature. It was enough to make even Satan feel comfortable.

"I'm glad you could meet with me." Jehovah shook Satan's hand. The grip was firm and supportive. "I know you have a busy schedule."

"It's alright. It's nice to get out of Hell every so often," Satan said.

"I'd imagine. How are things down there?"

"Well, we..." Satan paused. He recently created a new feet crusher, but Jehovah wouldn't like to hear that. "There's a new noise machine."

"That's good." Jehovah pulled out a sheet of paper. "So I'd hate to do this." He slid the paper.

"You're...firing me?" Satan looked up.

"All of Hell is going," Jehovah nods.

"Why? I thought the point of Hell was torturing bad humans. There are certainly a lot of them."

"That's not your role."

"What are you talking about? My name literally means adversary. I'm supposed to be the enemy of all that is good." Satan stood and unleashed a pillar of fire that incinerated everything. God recreated it quickly.

"You're name also means accuser. You were supposed to challenge humans to help them grow and change. When you torture them, they don't change. To be honest, I think you like torturing them."

"Of course I like it. Removing tongues is enjoyable. If you wanted me to help them grow, you shouldn't have made Hell a place for eternal damnation." Satan shouted and unleashed a plague on the world. Jehovah tapped Satan on the head. Satan calmed himself. "Alright, I'll stop doing that, but you've got to have a good reason."

"Actually, I do." God waved his hand creating a word in the sky that read Purgatory. Beneath it was a large hill.

"What's that?"

"It's a place closer to my original goal. A place where humans are given the opportunity to grow and change. I want you and your staff to oversee it as a second chance," Jehovah said.

"Why didn't you lead with that?"

"Because I knew power had corrupted you, and I wanted you to understand that for yourself." Satan rubbed the back of his head.

"You're right. I have become quite sadistic and egotistical."

"It's alright. You have an opportunity to change your ways. Like the humans."

r/AstroRideWrites